Resuscitation
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International Classification of Diseases 9th Edition's Clinical Modification (ICD-9CM) codes are frequently used in health services research. We tested the operating characteristics of ICD-9CM codes for identifying out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) subjects. ⋯ Compared to a prospective registry, ICD-9CM codes are an insensitive method to identify OHCA subjects. Moreover, ICD-9CM codes identify a biased sample of the OHCA population with higher mortality.
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PulsePoint Respond is a novel mobile device application that notifies citizens within 400 m (∼ 1/4 mile) of a suspected cardiac arrest to facilitate resuscitation. Our objectives were to (1) characterize users, and (2) understand their behavior after being sent a notification. We sought to identify challenges for optimal implementation of PulsePoint-mediated bystander resuscitation. ⋯ Challenges for optimal implementation of PulsePoint Respond include technical aspects of the notifications (audio volume, precision of location information), excessive activation radii, insufficient user density in the community, and suboptimal cardiac arrest notification specificity. PulsePoint Respond has the potential to improve the community response to cardiac arrest, with 80% of responders attempting basic life support when they found a cardiac arrest victim prior to EMS.
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Observational Study
The Effects of Calcium and Sodium Bicarbonate on Severe Hyperkalaemia during Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Adult In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest.
Calcium and sodium bicarbonate (SB) are frequently used in treating patients with severe hyperkalaemia. We evaluated the efficacy of these medications for the treatment of severe hyperkalaemia during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). We also hypothesised that the effects of these medications might be associated with serum potassium level during CPR. ⋯ The use of calcium and SB might be effective in the treatment of severe hyperkalaemia during cardiac arrest. The efficacy of SB/calcium correlated with serum potassium level. However, because the number of patients included in the analysis was small, this conclusion should be further examined in the future.
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High rates of stent thrombosis (ST) have been reported in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) who require a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The aim of this study was to assess risk factors of ST in this population with a special focus on antiplatelet therapy administered during the acute phase. ⋯ The incidence of ST in OHCA survivors is high and associated with poor clinical outcome. The use of new oral P2Y12 inhibitors does not appear to be associated with a reduction in ST compared to clopidogrel.
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Dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DA-CPR) impacts the rates of bystander CPR (BCPR) and survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs). This study aimed to elucidate whether regional variations in indexes for BCPR and emergency medical service (EMS) may be associated with OHCA outcomes. ⋯ Good outcomes of bystander-witnessed OHCAs correlate with regions having higher sensitivity of DA-CPR and larger proportion of bystanders to follow DA-CPR.